In Case I Never Told You
by LarielRomeniel
Summary: Leonard and Sara have a habit of leaving things unsaid. CaptainCanary, GoldenVibe.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hadn't intended to write this now, since I have another WIP underway. But a surprise visit from my brother prodded me to get this reunion fic started. Reuniting Len & Lisa is only the beginning.

* * *

The ringing of the visitor bell pulled Cisco away from the project spread across his workbench. His eyes widened when he checked the security monitor, and he thumbed the intercom. "Barry, you'd better suit up. We've got a visitor!"

" _I'll meet you at the Cortex,"_ Barry replied.

Cisco nodded, counted to five, and buzzed the security door open. Then he jogged to the Cortex, where Barry was already suited up and waiting.

"Cisco, who…"

Barry's question was interrupted by the arrival of Lisa Snart. She'd looked upset on the monitor, but now there were tears streaming down her face. With a sob, she threw herself into Cisco's arms. He shot Barry a bewildered look as he awkwardly patted her back. "Uh, Lisa, what…?"

She pulled away a little bit to dig into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a folded paper that was slightly rumpled, and held it out with a trembling hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but another sob came out instead.

Barry took the letter, and she fell back into Cisco. He watched Barry open the paper, and saw his expression change from one of curiosity to one of grief as he read it.

"What's going on here?" Caitlin had arrived in the Cortex, and looked at them with a puzzled expression. "Why is Lisa here? And why is she crying?"

"It's Snart," Barry answered roughly. "He…" He stopped and took in a long, pained breath. "This is a letter from Mick Rory. He says Snart's dead," he finally said, his voice breaking on the last word.

Cisco's mouth dropped open, and he exchanged a shocked look with Caitlin. She took the paper from Barry and began to read it out loud.

" _Lisa,_

" _I'm sorry to just leave you a letter like this, but I couldn't find you to tell you in person before we had to leave. We're going to take out this immortal asshole warlord, and I don't know if I'm coming back._

" _Lenny won't come back. He's gone, Lisa. I'm sorry. He died saving our lives. He sacrificed himself to stop these other assholes called the Time Masters from controlling everything._

" _You know how he hated being controlled by anyone._

" _The worst part of it is, he died in my place. I was ready to blow up the Oculus myself. I didn't have anything to go back to. Lenny had you and Sara._

" _Oh, hell. You wouldn't know about Sara. He met her on the mission. He… I think maybe he loved her. And maybe she loved him too._

" _I know that doesn't sound like the brother you knew. Lenny changed on this mission. We went into it for the score, planning to steal through time, but somehow he started caring about everybody else on the Waverider._

" _And then he decided to be a goddamned hero._

" _There's a lot more, but I don't have time to write it down. I will do everything I can to survive this mission and then come find you to tell you everything. But in case I don't make it, know that he loved you more than just about anything in the world._

" _Mick."_

The Cortex was silent except for the sound of Lisa's sobs. Caitlin brushed away a tear, and Cisco was surprised to feel one trailing down his own cheek.

"After all the trouble he caused us, I can't believe I'm saying this, but… I'm so sorry, Lisa," Caitlin said, laying a hand on the other woman's shoulder. Lisa pulled away from Cisco a little to meet Caitlin's eyes as she continued, "Despite everything else, I know he tried to be a good brother to you."

Lisa nodded and covered Caitlin's hand with her own to give it a brief squeeze. Then her eyes widened as Barry pushed back his cowl to wipe his eyes. "I know you," she said. "You hung out with Cisco at Jitters."

"Lisa, this is Barry Allen," Cisco said, "AKA The Flash."

She furrowed her brow. "Barry Allen… your name was on the visitor's log to see Lenny at Iron Heights. I asked about it, and he wouldn't tell me anything, but he seemed… off. Different."

"Yeah, maybe," Barry said. "Lisa, I told your brother there was good in him. I thought he had potential to be a hero. But now… If I hadn't said anything…" He huffed out a sigh. "I feel like this is my fault."

"You know I've always made my own decisions, Barry," a voice drawled from the entrance to the Cortex.

Caitlin and Barry whirled, and Cisco felt his jaw drop again.

Leonard Snart stood in the entrance, flanked by Mick Rory and a blond woman. Professor Stein and Jax stood behind them, and kept Snart from falling backward when Lisa flew at him like a linebacker, crying, "LENNY!"

Snart's eyes closed as he wrapped his arms around his sister, running one hand in a circle on her back as she began to sob again. "I'm here, Lisa, I'm here," he said in a soft voice with no trace of the usual drawl.

Cisco exchanged stunned glances with Barry and Caitlin, and all three began asking questions at once.

"How…?"

"We thought…"

"Mick's letter said…"

The professor interrupted them, holding his hands up in a quelling motion. "It's a long story."

"Professor, you explain it to them, please?" Snart said in that soft voice, opening his eyes. Cisco was surprised to see tears in them. "Is there anyplace I can talk with Lisa in private?"

Cisco nodded. "Yeah, sure." Snart's companions made way for Cisco to move past them, to lead the Snarts to his workshop.

He glanced back to see the siblings following. Lisa was still leaning against her brother, one arm wound around his waist. Snart had laid his arm across her shoulders, and was pressing a kiss into her hair.

Cisco blinked in surprise. He might have to rethink that "Cold" label.

* * *

Len's mouth twitched in a slight smile when Cisco turned away to continue leading them down the corridor. The kid's expression had been priceless.

He glanced down at his baby sister, and the smile grew a little wider. As a child, Lisa always got the hiccups after a crying jag. That hadn't changed; she was hiccupping now.

Cisco led them into a cluttered workroom. Len settled Lisa onto the stool at the semicircular worktable and asked, "Can you get her some water, please?"

"Sure, sure!" Cisco walked over to another workbench and opened the mini-fridge under it, pulling out a bottle of water and bringing it back to Lisa. "Here."

"Thanks, Cisco," Lisa said, with another hiccup. She opened the bottle, took a deep breath and then sipped some of the water.

"You're welcome," Cisco said. He stood there awkwardly for a beat, then another. Len raised an eyebrow at him, and the kid shook himself. "Uh, I'll just… leave you two alone…"

He started out of the room, then turned back. "Uh… don't touch anything…" Len tilted his head, and Cisco stammered, "Just meet us in the Cortex when you're done."

Len chuckled after Cisco left the room. "Now I feel like rearranging everything just to mess with him."

"Don't you dare!" Lisa warned before taking another deep breath and another drink of water. After a moment, she sighed in relief, the hiccups apparently gone. "He's been sweet to me."

Len nodded as he leaned back against the worktable. "I know. He cares about you, and…" He paused for a moment, then decided to just go ahead and say it, "and I'm glad for you."

Lisa tilted her head. "Never expected to hear you say anything like that," she said. "I also never expected you to hug me back in front of other people, let alone kiss me." Her voice softened, and she asked, "Lenny, what happened? Why did Mick leave me a letter saying you were dead?"

Len drew in a deep breath. "It's a long story, Lise. When Mick left you that letter, he did think I was dead, blown up with the Oculus just like he said. Then they found out I wasn't dead, just trapped, and the team rescued me."

"Mick said something about stealing… through time?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We've been traveling on a spaceship that can travel through time."

His eyes widened in surprise when she hit him in the chest. "If you were time traveling, you couldn't make it back here _before_ I got that letter?" she asked angrily.

He grabbed her hands and held onto them firmly. "I wish I could have, but it would have ruined the timeline," he told her. He sighed. "Our ship's captain likes to say that time wants to happen. Time wanted you to get that letter. Just like it wanted Dad to go to Iron Heights before you were born."

Lisa's posture relaxed as she stared at him. "What do you mean?"

He loosened his grip on her hands but still held onto them, running his thumbs over them. "One of our stops was in 1975. I tried to keep Dad from getting caught stealing the Maximilian Emerald."

"But he wasn't caught stealing it," Lisa said in a puzzled tone. "He was caught fencing it."

Len nodded. "Yeah, this time around. But in the original timeline that I remember, he was caught stealing it." He sighed. "Either way, time wanted him to become a monster."

Lisa considered that in silence. Then she raised their joined hands. "That still doesn't explain _this_. Lenny, touchy-feely isn't you. It hasn't been you for years. What else happened?"

"Jurgen's Ridge happened," Len answered.

"What's Jurgen's Ridge?"

"The place I got trapped after the Oculus. It's a place in the time stream where you can see… everything. The past, the present and the future." He released her hands and held up an admonishing finger. "And before you ask, I can't tell you about the future. But I can tell you about the past."

He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, remembering those visions. "I saw us, Lise. Our family, and how we grew up. I saw what you and I used to be like with each other, and then I saw what we turned into."

He looked back into her blue eyes. "I didn't like it, Lisa. We became… cold, and hard, even with each other, and when I realized that… I hated it. I want us to be… better. And I don't mean robberies as family time."

Lisa's eyes widened, and he smiled a little. "I'm not saying I expect us to be some sappy TV family. That ain't us. But for now…" He put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not going to call you a train wreck ever again."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I love you, sis."

Lisa slid off the chair to hug him so hard he almost couldn't breathe. "I love you, Lenny," she said in a teary voice. She pulled back and looked up at him with a watery smile. "I can't promise I won't ever call you a jerk again, though."

He smirked. "Well, I can't promise I won't deserve it every once in a while, so that's fair enough."

Lisa giggled and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. He closed his eyes and sighed, remembering the child she'd been. He gave her one more squeeze, then released her. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

Lisa gave him a teasing smile. "You mean the blonde that came in with you? Is she the Sara that Mick wrote about? I'm looking forward to it."

He chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the workroom. "You'll like her. She thinks I'm a jerk, too."

Another giggle. "But Mick says she loves you, and that you love her?"

He paused for just a moment. "I… I care about her…"

Lisa's eyebrows went up at that. Len was saved from a sisterly interrogation by the younger half of Firestorm, who came jogging down the hall. "Snart, come on! You've gotta see this!"

They followed Jax to an opening Len didn't remember seeing when they'd passed through before. It led into a stark white room, where Barry and Cisco stood with Len's teammates. Len stepped into the room, his eyes widening at the familiar holographic head projected before the group. "Greetings, Mr. Snart," the head said. "I am Gideon."

"Not our Gideon," Len answered, noting the difference between this hologram's voice and the one he knew so well from the Waverider.

"This one says she's from further in the future than our Gideon," Mick said.

"So how did she get here?" Len asked.

"Long story," Barry replied. "The short version is that the Reverse Flash built this Time Vault and put Gideon here. The professor mentioned that you have a Gideon, so I thought your team should see ours."

"It is fortunate that Captain Hunter did not come with you for this visit," Time Vault Gideon said. "He cannot be told of my existence yet."

"Yet?" Jax asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A time will come when you can tell Captain Hunter and the Waverider's Gideon about me. I will inform Mr. Allen and Mr. Ramon when that time comes," Time Vault Gideon said. "For now, I already know that all of you can, and will, keep this secret. We will talk again when the time is right."

Time Vault Gideon disappeared, leaving the group looking at each other in bewilderment. Finally Stein said, "Well, our Gideon has always known what she's doing. I think we can trust this Gideon's judgment as well."

They walked out of the Time Vault, heading back to the Cortex. Sara fell into step next to Len and Lisa, holding out her hand. "Lisa, I'm Sara. I've heard a lot about you."

Lisa took it with a smile. "Pleased to meet you. Can't wait to hear all about my big brother on this time travel mission of yours."

Barry sidled up to Len's other side. "So, how are you liking the hero gig?"

Len scowled at him, but only halfheartedly. "I'm no hero."

"Yes, you are!" his teammates chorused, some of them with a laugh.

Lisa grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You always were to me."


	2. Chapter 2

TIMELINE NOTE: This story takes place "between the lines" of my previous story "Kissing Lessons." The visit to STAR Labs in Chapter 1 happens after Len's second night back on the Waverider. This chapter is later that same day.

* * *

Len smiled at the woman running the flower cart, handing her a few bills and waving her off when she tried to give him change. He took his purchase and sidled up to Sara at the railing.

She was watching a sailboat glide in to port. "Dad used to take us here when we were little. Sometimes there was a carnival, and we'd ride all the rides until we were dizzy. Sometimes we just watched the boats go by. Even when we got older, Laurel loved it here." She sighed. "Until the _Gambit_. I'm not sure why Oliver chose this place to put up a memorial."

"I'm sure his intentions were good," Len said, offering her a single red rose.

She took it with a slight smile and a soft kiss before slipping her hand into his to begin the long walk down the pier. "You've never even met him. Well, not this version of him, anyway. What makes you so sure?"

Len chuckled. "He's a hero, right? Heroes always have good intentions, even when they screw things up."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Well, you should know, _hero_."

"Ouch!"

She squeezed his hand as they walked on. "Thank you for coming here with me."

He returned the squeeze. "I saw the look on your face when Barry mentioned the memorial. Of course we had to come here."

"But I feel bad about taking you away from your sister."

As if he would let her face this by herself, after soothing her through two nights of bad dreams about Laurel's death. But if he mentioned that, she'd just remind him that his post-Ridge nightmares were worse, and that was a topic he'd prefer to avoid right now. So instead, he said lightly, "It's okay, Sara. I'd had all I could take of Lisa and Cisco making goo-goo eyes at each other. And in another minute Barry was finally going to say, 'I told you so!'"

She snickered. "What, about you being a hero?"

He mock-shuddered. "Do you have to keep using that word?"

"If the shoe fits…" She released his hand and wound her arm around his waist. "But seriously, Len. It means a lot to me."

He put his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. "You mean a lot to me. Lisa knows that."

They walked on in silence for a moment. Then he said, "Tell me about Laurel. I know she was your older sister, and I know she brought you back with the Lazarus Pit. And of course I know she was the Black Canary. But what was she like?"

Sara thought for a moment before answering. "She had the biggest heart of anyone I ever knew. She was always able to see the good in people, even when no one else could see it. She and Dad used to fight about that a lot. He thought she'd end up getting hurt because she had so much faith in people."

She sighed. "He was right. Oliver and I hurt her. We hurt both of our families, so much."

Len tightened his arm around her shoulders. "They all forgave you for that. Don't you think it's time you forgave yourself?"

She was silent for a moment, thinking it over before saying, "Mary Xavier… Rip's mother… she told me that I'm a better person than I would have been because I went on the _Gambit_."

"Rip's mother seemed like a pretty smart lady. And if she could handle a bunch of pint-sized future Time Bastards and Little Me, she's worth listening to."

"Not all the Time Masters were bad," she pointed out. "The captain of the Acheron helped us."

"I suppose…" he conceded.

She gave him a little squeeze. "And Little You wasn't so bad either, as long as you had someone to sing to you."

He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, and she looked a little sheepish. "We didn't tell you that part. When we took little Miranda back to the Refuge, our younger selves were still there."

"So… what? You sang me to sleep?" He felt strangely touched by the notion.

She nodded. "Yeah. It… it helped me feel better about what happened between us before the Oculus, when you talked about the future and I shot you down."

"The 'hell of a thief' thing?" he asked, pausing and turning to face her. When she nodded, he said, "I took that as a challenge, Sara."

She smiled wanly. "Mick said you'd say that."

"Mick said that, huh? Well, you both know I am one hell of a thief." He cupped her cheek. "And right now, I'm going to steal another kiss."

He leaned down to gently brush his lips against hers, caressing her cheek and smiling at her when they parted. He laced their fingers together again and they continued their walk.

The sun was setting when they finally reached the end of the pier, and both of them took in sharp breaths of surprise at the sight.

A bronze statue of the Black Canary stood there, watching over the city she'd given her life to protect. But that was only the beginning of this memorial.

Before the statue lay dozens of lit candles. There were flowers piled around the statue's base, and the base itself was papered with photographs, drawings, letters and even little sticky notes.

Sara knelt down to begin reading the notes, while Len laid their own addition to the memorial at the statue's feet: a bundle of white roses and blue delphinium from the flower cart where he'd bought Sara's rose. Then he joined Sara in reading the tributes left by the people of Star City, not just for the Black Canary but also for Laurel Lance.

" _Laurel got justice for my murdered brother."_

" _The Black Canary saved me from robbers."_

" _I'd have been left on the street if not for Laurel Lance and CNRI."_

" _Thank you for defending our homes."_

"They really loved her," Sara said in a teary voice. "Len, I miss her so much. There are so many things I wish I'd told her, and now…"

She broke off with a sob. He opened his arms to her and cradled her gently while she wept.

* * *

Sara ran her brush through her hair one more time and studied her reflection. The tear tracks were gone, and the red had finally faded from her eyes.

There was a knock at the door. She set the brush down and called, "Come in."

Leonard walked in, wearing a black dress shirt and slacks. "Feeling better?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for being there for me." He just nodded in return, and she asked, "So why are you all dressed up?"

"Besides the fact that you and Lisa left me with a soggy shirt?" he chuckled. "I asked Rip if we could make a special stop, and he said yes. Get changed. Rip wants to make the time jump in about five minutes."

She ran her fingers through the hair she'd just finished brushing. "My hair's awful and I need to do my makeup…"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "No, you don't, pretty bird," he said, kissing her forehead before stepping over to her closet. "But the ripped jeans and sweatshirt won't do. Get changed. I'll meet you up on the bridge."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Sure you won't stay and help me?"

He chuckled. "Tempting. But Rip said five minutes. If I stay, it'll take a lot longer than that." He winked at her and strolled back out of the room.

* * *

The time jump wasn't like any of the ones they'd taken before. The Waverider never lifted off from the ground. The only indication that they'd traveled anywhere was the light outside the window; it had gone from full dark back to twilight.

Sara also didn't feel the usual queasiness that followed a time jump. A short trip, then.

"Star City, March 24th, 2016," Rip announced.

Sara's mouth dropped open in surprise as she raised her harness. "This is before…"

"Before Laurel died," Len confirmed. "You said there were things you wished you'd told her. This is your chance."

She glanced over at Rip. "Can I really…?"

Rip gave her a slight nod. "We have a short window where our presence won't disturb the timeline. Gideon's already set the timer on your locket. You can only see your sister, though, and you can't tell her what happened, of course. You know that only too well."

"But this can give you closure," Stein said with a kind smile.

Jax nodded. "I couldn't save my dad, but to just see him and talk to him… even if it was just for a little while, I'm glad I got that chance."

"I felt the same way about seeing Anna," Ray added. "Even if it was weird being engaged to Kendra at the same time."

"Go on, Blondie," Mick said gently. "You earned this."

Sara flashed them all a grateful smile before rising and taking Len's arm.

He walked her to a little Italian restaurant on the waterfront. She recognized it as a place Laurel used to love, both for its _linguine alle vongole_ and for the friendly family who owned it. She took a deep breath as they went inside, savoring the aromas from the kitchen.

Len smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'll wait for you at the bar. I can catch the basketball game."

"Since when do you watch sports?"

"True," he said with a grin. "But this is for you and your sister. Go. We only have a little bit of time before this visit will cause ripples, so don't waste it."

He bent to kiss her, then took a seat at the end of the bar. It only took her a moment to find Laurel sitting in a booth, engrossed in some papers while eating.

Sara drew in a deep breath as her heart seemed to skip a beat. Now was her chance… but she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Still, she knew the clock was ticking. She took a deep breath, put on her brightest smile, and walked over to Laurel's booth. "Working through dinner, sis?"

Laurel's head jerked up and she smiled brilliantly, sliding out of her seat and pulling Sara into a long hug. "Sara! Is your mission done? Are you home to stay?"

Sara felt a frisson of pure joy in being held by her sister again, and she didn't answer right away. Instead, she clung tightly to Laurel, just enjoying this moment. Finally, she knew she had to pull back, taking the seat opposite Laurel. "Our original mission is done, but I'm not coming home yet, Laurel. We… we've got a new mission now, and it's even bigger than the first one."

"Bigger than saving the world?" Laurel asked. "What's next? The universe?"

Sara chuckled. "Not quite. Now we're going to… it sounds ridiculous to say it… we're going to protect history."

"No more ridiculous than reincarnating hawk demigods or a man who can shrink to the size of an atom," Laurel said with a laugh. Then, seriously, she said, "It sounds important."

Sara nodded. "It is. That's why we're staying with the Waverider, at least for now. I'm just taking advantage of a quick stop here to see you."

"Does Dad know you're here? I should call him!"

Sara put her hand out to stop Laurel from reaching for her phone. "Laurel, no. I'm not able to stay long enough for him to get here, and it'll just hurt his feelings if you tell him you saw me when he didn't."

"I can tell him…"

Sara shook her head. "No, please. Rip said we have to keep this visit between us because of the timeline." When Laurel looked doubtful, Sara said, "He's the Time Master."

Laurel shook her head and spread her hands in acquiescence. "Okay, if you say so." She leaned forward. "So, tell me what it's like, traveling through time."

Sara smiled slightly. "It's been… incredible. I've seen things that you wouldn't believe." She reached out and took Laurel's hands in her own. "You were right to tell me to come on this trip, you know. It's given me a purpose, something I haven't had in a long time. Thank you for that."

Laurel gave her hands a squeeze. "I told you that you could be a hero in the light."

"Yeah, you did," Sara agreed. "You believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself, and you loved me even at my most unlovable. Anyone else would have written me off after the _Gambit_ , but you found it in your heart to forgive me. I know I haven't always been the best sister to you…"

"I won't say it's always been easy," Laurel said with a chuckle.

Sara shook her head. "I know it hasn't. You've had every reason in the world to shut me out, but instead you gave me my life back. And then you gave me direction."

Laurel cocked her head, studying her. "What brought this on, Sara?"

Sara drew in a breath, tilting her head back to think, and then gave an answer that was the truth but not the whole truth. "This mission I'm on is just as dangerous as being a vigilante. We almost lost one of our team, and it's made me very aware of leaving things unsaid. So I guess I'd better warn you that I'm going to be a bit mushy every time I stop by."

Laurel smiled. "I can take a little mushy. And I can dish it out, too! Sara, you've been my inspiration and my motivation. You've made me a better person. And I'm proud of the person you've become. Protecting history! And…" Laurel paused, seeming to study her again. "There's a spark in you that I haven't seen in a long time. I don't think it's just because of this new purpose of yours. Don't think I didn't notice that you said ' _we're_ staying with the Waverider.'"

She leaned closer. "It wouldn't happen to have something to do with the guy over at the bar who's been watching you for the past five minutes?"

Sara shook her head, laughing just a little. She hadn't intended to tell Laurel about Len, but now that it came down to it… it felt _right_ to tell her sister about him.

And this would be the only chance she'd ever get.

She waved him over to join them. Laurel smiled at his wary approach, saying, "I don't bite!"

Len smirked at that. "Maybe not, but if you're half as good as your sister you can kick my ass while barely breaking a sweat." He extended a hand. "I'm Leonard…"

"Snart. I know," Laurel said. "Oliver was so worried about you and your partner being on the team, he had Felicity contact Barry Allen. Barry vouched for you." She smiled a little as Len slid into the booth next to Sara. "Not only did Barry say there was good in you, he thought you had the potential to be a hero."

Len rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone keep insisting on using that word?"

Sara snickered. "Told you, if the shoe fits…"

"What I want to know," Laurel said, "is why you might be worried about me kicking your ass? Have you done something to earn it?"

Sara laughed as Len looked profoundly uncomfortable. "He was just a jerk hero. We nearly lost him when he decided to save the world."

Both of Laurel's eyebrows shot up, while Len corrected, "Actually, you did lose me. But then you found me again."

"And I always will," Sara promised.

Laurel opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a beeping from Sara's silver locket. Len sighed.

"That's our warning, Sara. We have to get back to the Waverider in five minutes," he said. "Laurel, it was good to meet you. And I just want to tell you… thanks for bringing Sara back. You saved more than just her life."

He squeezed Sara's shoulder and slid back out of the booth. "I'll wait for you outside."

Sara watched him go, then turned back to Laurel. "I wish I could stay longer, but…"

"But you can't go messing with the timeline. I get it." Laurel reached for her hands again. "Maybe the timeline will let you stay longer the next time. You know Leonard can't avoid Dad's third degree forever. "

Sara smiled, blinking back sudden tears. "I know, and I hope we will be able to stay longer next time. But until then, I want you to know how much I love you."

Laurel stood and drew her into a long hug. "I love you, too, Sara." She pulled back and laid a hand on Sara's cheek. "And wherever… _when_ ever you go… remember that I'm always with you."

* * *

She may not have been able to tell Laurel everything, but she told her the most important things. That night, Sara curled into Len's arms and, for the first time in a long time, slept without nightmares.

But the same could not be said for him.


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Since "The Waiting Room" continuity basically ignores canon after 1x15, there are some things that never got said. I thought Mick Rory Appreciation Week would be a good time for me to fix that.

This chapter refers to visions Leonard had in "A Time For Great Things" Chapter 7.

* * *

Len's half-conscious nighttime rambles stopped about ten days after his rescue, mostly because he couldn't get untangled from Sara and Mick. His partner had taken to sleeping with them to help Sara keep Len from wandering. Each time Len woke, they tightened their arms around him and murmured reassurances in his ears, letting him know he was safe, that the nightmares he'd seen on Jurgen's Ridge weren't real.

Sometimes that was enough to get him calmed enough to sleep again. Other times, he fought them. One night in his unseeing terror, he shoved Sara off the too-crowded bed platform onto the deck. On another, Len socked Mick in the mouth, bloodying his lip.

Each time, he'd been mortified once he'd come back to himself, but neither of them blamed him. "It's a small price to pay for a miracle," Sara had told him as she climbed back onto the bed and into his arms.

"What you've been through, o'course you have nightmares," Mick had said as he dabbed the blood away.

But Len wasn't the only one to have nightmares. Sara still had them, though Laurel didn't figure so prominently in them anymore. And one night, it was Mick who came clawing up from some terror, who needed Len and Sara to hold him and ground him in the present.

Now Mick was sitting between them on the edge of the bed, hunched over, Sara's hand on his shoulder, Len's on his back, where he could feel the small shudders his old friend was straining to control. Len met Sara's wide, slightly horrified eyes, knowing she'd heard the last thing Mick had cried out before jolting awake:

" _Daddy, please don't!"_

With thirty years of partnership, it wasn't the first time Len had ever heard that cry in the middle of the night. But this was the first time he'd heard it knowing Mick was begging his father not to do something far worse than beating him.

He felt sick, just as he had when he learned about it on the Ridge.

Sara didn't know the story, but she must have read something in his expression. Quietly, she said, "I think we could use something to help us get back to sleep. I'm going to the galley to make some chai."

She gave Len a look that clearly said, " _Talk to him,"_ before rubbing Mick's shoulder reassuringly. Then she slid off the bed and padded out.

Clever woman. Chai would take her a little while to make, and that would give him and Mick a chance to have a conversation they'd put off for far too long. She knew they wouldn't have it in her presence.

Mick made a rumbling sound as the door slid shut. "Sorry," he said in a rough voice. "I'm supposed to be watching out for you…"

"And you have been," Len assured him. "But I know I haven't been giving you two an easy time of it. And I know you have as many reasons for nightmares as I do." He settled back against the wall, just behind Mick. He'd never be able to say the things he needed to while looking him in the eye. They might both be getting better at touchy-feely, but they hadn't gotten that far yet.

Still, there were things he didn't want left unsaid. "No need to apologize, Mick. I owe you for being there for Sara… and for me."

"We're partners," Mick replied simply.

Len huffed softly. "Yeah. But you were there for me even before we were partners. Back in Juvie. For years, I never understood why you stepped in that day." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "But I do now."

Mick's head jerked up, as if he'd been shocked, but he didn't look back at Len. After a moment, he said, "On the Ridge… you saw…"

"I saw what was going on outside of the dogpile when those other kids were beating the crap out of me. I'd always thought you were saving me from the shiv, but…" In his mind's eye he could still see that boy starting to undo his pants with a vicious smile of anticipation.

Mick grunted. "Wasn't gonna let Bundy make you his bitch." Another pause, a longer one this time. Then, in a quiet tone Len rarely heard from his partner: "I think you saw the reason why, too."

"I didn't exactly _see_ ," Len said. "Whatever's running that part of the time stream decided hearing was enough."

Mick let out a bitter laugh. "Then it's kinder than the Time Masters were when they turned me into Chronos. They made me relive all the bad memories again and again. Everything my father did to me, everything that happened in the can, everything-"

Mick stopped suddenly, his head dropping.

"Everything I ever did to you," Leonard said softly, remembering the many fights and falling-outs over thirty years. "I haven't always been the best partner, have I? Ordering you around since the day we left Juvie..."

"I'd'a done a lot more prison time if you hadn't."

"Yeah, but… I ran out on you in that fire."

"And I ran out on you when Lewis kidnapped you and planted that bomb in Lisa."

True, but… "Once we came on this boat, I didn't let you make your own choices."

Mick scoffed. "Look what happened when I did. I sold our team out to the Time Pirates."

Len shook his head, even though he knew Mick couldn't see it. "You wouldn't have if I'd been paying attention. The Time Pirates, Chronos… that's all on me."

"Not all of it," Mick said. "Hunter gets a part o' that. And the professor."

"Maybe. But it wouldn't have happened if I'd been paying attention to you instead of…"

"No, you don't!" Mick said sharply, turning around and meeting Len's eyes. "You don't get to apologize for Sara. She's the best damned thing that ever happened to you besides Lisa. Falling in love with her made you a better man. Made you a hero."

Len blinked, not sure if he should argue with _love_ or with _hero_. He still wasn't sure either word applied. But Mick didn't give him a chance. "Yeah, you took the choice away from me in 2046, but going with the Time Pirates… I chose that."

Len dropped his eyes. "Then I chose to leave you right where the Time Masters would snatch you up and turn you into Chronos."

"Lenny… Leonard." Mick's voice was both sharp and gentle, and Len looked up to see his steady regard. "Part o' Chronos was always in me. Fighter? Killer? You know that. And without him, a buncha stuff that was supposed to happen wouldn't have." Mick's mouth twisted wryly. "You know how Rip is always sayin' time wants to happen."

Len raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying time wanted us to treat each other like crap half the time over the past thirty years?"

Mick chuckled. "Never told you this before, but my shrink used to say you and I had the healthiest unhealthy relationship she'd ever seen. Or maybe it was the other way around. I'm not sure."

Len laughed at the absurdity… and the truth of that statement. "Either way, she's got a point." He leaned his head back against the wall. "Listen, Mick. When we went back to see Lisa I told her... I told her I wanted us to be better with each other. The same goes for you. So if you catch me trying to take your choices away or boss you around again…"

"Can I punch you?"

Len laughed again, and this time Mick joined in. Catching his breath, Len said, "Only if you want Sara doing the same to you! But listen." He leaned forward toward Mick. "If anyone else on the crew starts pulling that shit again…"

"It's okay, Boss. You don't have to beat Hunter up for my sake."

Len smirked. "Actually, I was going to ask Sara to do it! But seriously… " The smirk dropped away. "I owe you, Mick. I've owed you for years."

He reached out his right hand. Mick looked down at it, then closed his own hand over it and met Len's eyes. "Think you already paid that debt off at the Vanishing Point. You saved me and the team. You saved the timeline. You saved free will. You're the best guy I ever knew." Mick's gaze was serious for a moment. Then he smirked. "Didja ever think you'd become a goddamn hero?"

"Hell, no," Len chuckled, shaking his head. "But none of it would've happened if you hadn't stepped in all those years ago. Mick, you may not think you're a hero..." he tightened his grip on his friend's hand, "but you're a hero to me."


End file.
